hometown series :: town hall summer concerts

Well... it's officially summer. And let's hope so, because it's almost 100 degrees out there! The last time it was this hot, we were shooting an outdoor, 14 hour wedding... and one of us was 8 months pregnant. Yikes! Today though, we are enjoying the humming sound of our overworked AC unit and the cool air it's spoiling us with. Ahhhh, very nice.

With summer, in our small town, comes many fun activities, events, and gatherings. One of our favorites is the La Plata Summer Concert Series on the lawn at Town Hall. It's like something out of feel good movie, or an episode of The Wonder Years. Seriously, this summertime staple in our neck of the woods makes us love where we live more and more. Families lay out quilts on the lawn, marking their spot, then set up dinners of fried chicken, subs, or even a pizza. You are sure to run into someone you know, but on most evenings you're bound to see several familiar faces. "How've ya'll been?" is heard quite a lot on these evenings. In fact, most folks have started to show up an hour or so early just to have the time to chat, before the music starts. Every Friday evening from June to September the Town of La Plata puts on a free concert for anyone to come enjoy. Bands range from southern rock, to traditional Irish tunes and even the US Air Force Band.

A 45 minute drive from the District, we find ourselves in a little bubble on these Friday evenings, where life slows down, we enjoy good music, a warm breeze and time with people we love.

We will be out there on the lawn tomorrow evening. If you're in the area or close enough to drive down our way, come on out and say hi. We'd love to share some blanket with you.

Here are some quick photos of our last visit to the summer concert series...

yes please...

Did you think we'd post something without throwing in a few of Sweet Cheeks?

yummm, dinner on the lawn.

Kisses for Mama (even though they're more like bites)

There's nothing quite like a small town on a summer evening...

Stay cool everyone!



hometown series :: monday night softball

Officially, Mondays are our day off. Unofficially we still do quite a bit of work on most Mondays anyway. It's what happens when you own your own business, absolutely love what you do, and have no self control. We will limit ourselves though. Emails, phone calls, blog posts, a little editing... those tasks sneak into our Mondays. We also tend to get some grocery shopping done, doctors appointments for the baby, bank and post office runs too. But there's one thing we make sure isn't pushed aside or gotten to later, and that's time with family. That's where softball comes in.

Softball and baseball are big in Southern Maryland. They're like potato salad at a cook out, without them it's just not right. Our family has played forever. Betty's brothers, Maggie's husband, and lots of cousins have always played either softball or baseball. (We know they're technically a different sport but they both involve a pitcher, bats and bases so they're the same to us.) From T-Ball leagues for 4 year olds to adult rec leagues these games are a way of life around here. And it's not so much the games themselves that matter, it's the time watching them with family and friends who have become family.

Every Monday night we set up folding chairs and a blanket or two at the softball field to watch the boys play. Pop still tries to make it out when he can, and any uncles, cousins, or kids who aren't playing themselves come out to watch too. We sit, we chat, we cheer, and we enjoy our time together. Spring ball is only one game in, and tonight we'll be out there in our folding chairs again to cheer on our team. After a busy week, a weekend that flew by, and a day off spent working, these evenings are our time to enjoy this blessed life of ours. These softball games tend to bring all the good things to the surface, and we can't help but well up every once in a while.

Maggie's husband and Betty's brother are close in age and are becoming rather close friends. Bryan talked Stew into joining his softball team, and Stew is loving it. Here's a few pictures from their first game. (Warning: Most of these shots are of "sweet cheeks" the first grand baby and great grand baby in the family. Needless to say, we can't get enough of him. In fact we fully intend on saturating this blog with photos of him.)

Our Phillies baby

We looked down and saw Sweet Cheeks chewing on a clover. He's being a bunny it seems.

Caught... and not happy about it.

This child is a mess.

It was clearly time to go.

We hope you are enjoying your Monday. We're going to work a little longer today then put dinner in the crock pot and head over to watch tonight's game. Wish the boys luck!

Hometown Series :: Material Girls Quilt Boutique

We absolutely love where we live. It's just about perfect here (for us at least). There aren't many places in the country where you can experience rural country living, classic small town suburbia and big city living all within a 45 minute drive. Charles County Maryland is where we call home. The Hubs and I live in Bryantown while Maggie and her boys live in La Plata. We get to be just a 10 minute drive away from each other and we wouldn't want it any other way. Our family has called this place home since before the country was founded, and we are lucky to still have our roots here.

We love our hometown so much, we want to feature its treasures on the blog from time to time. We're starting off this Hometown Series with some good friends of mine. Amy and Robin of Material Girls quilt boutique in La Plata, MD have been enabling my sewing habit for years now. You may not know that in addition to photography, I also design and make hand bags. Some of you may know me as Bette's Bags. My etsy shop stays up year round, and on days we're not shooting a wedding, I am a vendor at craft shows and art markets in DC, and Arlington, VA. It's a blast, and I love that I can enjoy two of my passions on a professional level. What's that saying? "Love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life"... yeah, that's it.

Material Girls has always been the place to buy fabric and sewing supplies in Southern Maryland since it opened 9 years ago. Amy and Robin are also a Mother/Daughter team, and I love it when moms and daughters get together to do great work. Robin's daughter, and Amy's sister Wendy works at the shop full time and I swear she is the fastest fabric cutter I've ever seen. These girls know everything there is to know about sewing, sewing machines, quilting, embroidary, and so much more. Their boutique has always been the best around, but they decided it was time to grow. So the girls grew... and they grew big time. They're now an authorized Bernina sewing machine dealer and with that title the expanded their store front by 3,300 square feet to add their brand new Bernina Showroom and Sewology Lounge. Learn more about it here.

I almost forgot to tell you about their new yarn shop! Oh the yarn... the yarn is gooooood. Knitting has become my therapy and I can't get enough. I go through yarn like I go through Peeps at Easter. Their new yarn shop is just what I needed.

Mag and I managed to fit in a visit to the Material Girls shop a few weekends ago for their grand opening of the new space. Here are some photos Mag got while I shamelessly shopped for fabric. Did I need more fabric? No. Did I buy more anyway? You bet.

So if you're a DIY kind of Bride and are thinking about a handmade gift for your Bridesmaids, Material Girls is the place to shop for patterns and materials. They can personalize hankies with your girl's monogram, or maybe even a zippered make up bag. What about a one of a kind garter with your Hubby's Alma Mater, or favorite team's colors? Go ask Amy about any ideas you may have, we're pretty sure she can do just about anything.

Thanks Amy, Robin and Wendy for being so amazing at what you do and for giving us crafters in Southern Maryland one heck of a place to shop for supplies and inspiration. Congrats on your new adventures!

Congrats ladies!

Have a good day everyone,